Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-05-11


very wise choice. Capt. Mel is a man whom
any woman might love and be proud of
loving"
In another ml ute she was in her room, and
there her composure left her, for she was but
a loving woman after all. She flung herself
upon her bed, and, hiding her face in the pill
low, burst into paroxysm of weeping-a
very different thing from Bessie's gentle
tears. Her grief absolutely convulsed her,
and she pushed the he'd clothes against her
mouth to prevent the sound of it penetrating
the partition walls and reaching John Niel's
ears, for his room was next to hers. Even in
the midst of her suffering the thought of the
irony of the thing forced itself into her mind.
There, separated from her only by a few
inches Of lath und plaster and some four or
five feet of space, was the man for whom she
mourned thus, and yet he was US ignorant OF
it as thoue he were thousands OF miles away.
Sometimes, at such acute crises in our lives,
the limitations Of our physical nature do
strike US in this sort Of way. It is strange to
be so near and yet SO far, and it brings the
absolute and utter loneliness Of every created
being home to mind III q manner that Is
sforcib!e and at times almost terrible. john
Mel going composedly to sleep, bis mind
happy with the recollection Of those two right
and ef3 shots, and jess lying on her bed, six
feesaway, and sobh;u, out her stormy heart
over him, are after all but types of what is
continually going OH in this remarka-
bic world. How often do we understand one
another's grief? and, when we do, by what
standard can we measure it2 More especially
is comprehension rare If we happen to be the
original cause Of the trouble. Do we think
of the feelings Of the beetles it is our painful
duty to crush into nothingness7 Not at all.
II we have any compunctions, they are
quickly absorbed in the pride Of our capture.
And more often still, as in the present case,
we set our foot upon the poor victim by pure
accident or venal carelessncss.
Suffering, mental suffering, is prerogative
Of greatness, and even here there lies an ex-
quisite JOY at its core. For everything has its
compensations Nerves such Us these can
thrill with high happiness that will sweep
unfelt over the mass of men. Thus lie who is
stricken with grief at the sight Of the worlds
misery-as all great and good men must be
is ut times lifted up with joy by catching some
faint gleam of the almighty purpose that
underlies it all. So it was with the Son OF
Man in his darkest hours; the spirit that
enabled him to compass out the measure Of
the worlds suffering and sin enabled him also,
knowing their purposes, 10 gaze beyond them;
and thus it is, too, with those deep hearted
children of his race, who partake, however
dimly, of his divinity.
And so, even in this hour Of her darkest
bitterness and grief, a gleam Of comfort stlug-
gled to jess breast just as the first ray Of
dawn was struggling through the stormy
night. She would sacrifice herself to her
sister-that she had determined on; and hence
came that cold gleam of happiness for there
is happiness in self sacrifice, whatever the
cynical may say. At first her woman's nature
had risen in rebellion against the thought.
Why should she throw her life away! She
had as good right to him as Bessie, and she
knew that by the strength Of her own hand
she could hold him against Bessie in all her
beauty, however far things had gone between
them; and she believed, as jealous woman
is prone to do, that they had gone much
farther than they had,
But by and by her better self rose up and
mastered the promptings Of her heart. Bessie
loved him, and Bessie was weaker than she
and less suited to bear pain, and she had
sworn to her dying mother-for Bessie had
been her mothers darling-to promote her
happiness, and, come what would, to comfort
and protect her by every means in her power.
1t was wide oath, and she was only child
when she took 1t, but it bound her conscience
none the less, and surely it covered this Be-
sides, she dearly loved her-far, far more than
she loved herself. No, Bessie should have her
lover, and she should never know what it had
cost her to give him up; and as for herself,
well, she must go away like wounded buck,
and hide till she got well-or died.
She laughed drear little laugh and went
and brushed her hai just as the broad lights
Of the dawn came streaming across the misty
veldt. But she did not look at her face again
in the glass; she cared no more about it now,
Then she threw herself down to sleep the
sleep of utter exhaustion before it was time
to 60 out again and face the world and her
new sorrow.
Poor Jess! Loves young dream had not
overshadowed her for long. 1t had tarried
just three hours. But it had left other
dreams behind.
"Uncle," said jess that morning to old Silas
Croft as he stood by the kraal gate, where he
had been counting out the sheep-an opera
tion requiring great quickness of eye, and OH
the accurate performance Of which he greatly
prided himself.
ayes, yes, my dear, T know what you are
going to say. 1t was very neatly done; it
isn't everybody who can count out GOO run.
ming. hungry sheep without a mistake. But,
then, oughtnt to say too much, f. you see
I have been at it for fifty years, in the Old
Colony and here. Now, many man would
get fifty sheep wrong. There's Mel now
"Uncle." said she, wincing little at the
name, as a horse with sore back winces at
the touch of the saddle. "t wasn't about the
sheep that was going to speak to you. I
want you to do me favor"
"a favor! Why, God bless the girl, how
pale Jou Look but what you are always
pale. Well. what is it nowl"
II want to 60 up to Pretoria by the post
cart that leaves Wakkerstroom to.mor-
row afternoon, and to stop for couple Of
months with my schoolfellow Jane Neville.
have often promised to 60, end have never
gone"
"Well, I never" said the old man. "My
stay at home jess wanting to 20 away, and
without Bessie, too! What is the matter
with you"
81 want change, uncle, I do, indeed. !
hope you won't thwart me III this"
Her uncle looked at her steadily with his
keen, gray eyes.
"Humph" he said, "you want to go away,
and there's all end of it. Best not ask too
many questions where maid is concerned.
Very well, my dear, go if you like, though
shall miss YOU"
"Thank you. uncle" she said, and kissed
him, and then Turned and went.
Old Croft took off his broad hat and pol.
ished his bald head with red pocket hand.
kerchief.
"There's something up with that girl" ho
said aloud to q lizard that had crept out of
the creviccS Of the stone wall to bask in the
sun. II am not such u fool as look, and
say that there is something wrong with her.
She is odder than ever" and he hit viciously
at the lizard with his stick, whereon it
promptly bolted into its crack, returning
presently to see if the irate "hurnan" had de-
parted.
However" he soliloQuized, as he made his
way up to the house, Il am glad that it was
not Bessie. l couldn't bear, at my time of
life to mart with BESSIE even for Il cOuDle OF